1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a log-off function, a method for controlling the same, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has been common that a plurality of devices are connected to a network for exchanging data between the devices such as image forming apparatuses or for transmitting job data from a predetermined device to another device in which the job is executed. More specifically, in many cases, data is transmitted from a predetermined device to an image forming apparatus which has a printing function, so that the data is printed by the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, a number of inventions associated with an individual authentication function have been discussed from the viewpoint of safe handling of print data.
Secure printing is one of the techniques that involve the individual authentication function. Secure printing is a technique which performs printing when a user who sends a job from a predetermined device to another device is identified as a user who is personally authenticated, and it enables safer handling of print data.
As a technique using secure printing, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-265081 discusses an image forming apparatus including an individual authentication function in which, when secure printing is performed after individual authentication, log-off processing is performed after a predetermined time period has passed without any operation to the apparatus, regardless of a job type and whether any job to be executed by the apparatus is present therein or not.